Welcome to the 21st Century, Captain
by ILoveBooks987
Summary: Steve Rogers has just awoken from his frozen state. He had been frozen for seventy years. It had been seventy years since he crashed that Hydra plane into the water; since he saw Peggy. Now that Steve lived in an unknown world, Director Nick Fury of SHIELD has assigned Agent Elena Aldo to live with Captain America for a year. Her mission: Introduce the Captain to the new world.
1. Prologue

I DO NOT OWN ANY MARVEL CHARACTERS OR CERTAIN STORY LINES/SCENES!

Steve POV

I woke up, feeling extremely groggy and stiff. Like I've been asleep for a long time.

I sat up and looked around the unfamiliar green room. I could hear the traffic down below from the open window and the radio in the corner blared on about a baseball game. Wait a sec . . .

A woman entered the room. She was petite and dressed in a woman's military attire. She had her dark brown hair curled in the usual fashion and dark red lipstick clung to her lips.

"Good morning. Or should I say afternoon."

"Where am I?" I asked her with a stern face.

"You're in a recovery room in New York City."

I paused, taking another look around me. I wasn't convinced.

"Where am I really?" I asked again.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"The game," I said seriously, "It's from May 1941. I know 'cause I was there."

I got up slowly and walked towards her.

"Now I'm gonna ask you again. Where am I?"

"Captain Rogers," she whispered.

"Who are you?!" I raised my voice at the mysterious woman.

Suddenly two men burst into the room. I took a defensive stance and flung them out through the front wall. I ran out and briefly stopped to notice the high tech, metal walls around me. I burst through the set of doors ahead of me as the woman yelled behind me.

"Captain Rogers! Wait! All agents Code 13! I repeat, all agents Code 13!"

I kept running, knocking anything or anyone down and out of my way. I ran my way out of the building and into the streets. Large, mysterious buildings surrounded me as strange cars zoomed past me. I ran down the street, trying to figure out where I was.

I stopped after a few hundred feet. I stood in the middle of a busy center. Cars drove past, some honking their horns. I was surrounded by large screens everywhere, all so bright and animated. People were walking around, all acting normally. I looked around me, utterly confused. Where am I?

Sleek, black cars screeched to a stop around me. A tall, black man with an eyepatch stepped out of one of the cars.

"Hey, soldier!" He greeted as he walked up to me. I stared at him unknowingly.

"Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there. But, we thought it best to break it to you slowly."

"Break what?" I asked curiously.

The man stared at me for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"You've been asleep, Cap," he said normally, "For almost seventy years."

I stared at him in disbelief. Seventy years? I thought to myself in disbelief. What the hell? How could this have happened? All I remember is having to crash the plane into the water. And talking to . . . oh no. . . Peggy.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," I responded, "Yeah, I just . . . I had a date."


	2. Chapter 1

Elena POV

I woke up to the sound of my phone alarm blaring in my ear.

"Shoot to thrill! Play to kill! Too many women and too many pills! I said, shoot to thrill!"

That was one of my favorite songs. AC/DC was great. I turned off the alarm and laid in bed for a few minutes, thinking about what was planned for today. Fury told me he was assigning me a new mission. I was thrilled when he told me and I couldn't wait. I loved going on missions. The danger, the suspense, the fighting. I loved it all.

I got up and did my morning routine and dressed in my uniform. It was exactly like Natasha's, except mine was black. That meant that I was a lower level agent.

I joined SHIELD about two years ago. It took a lot of work to bump up a level. I was just two levels below Natasha and Clint. Even though I was beneath them, all three of us were great friends.

I looked at the clock on my wall. 7:15. Better get going. Don't want to be late or Fury will have my head.

I stopped at the private cafeteria for higher level agents. Even though I was two levels below my friends, I was still ranked in the higher levels.

I opened the fridge and quickly grabbed an apple. I ate it as I walked to the main control room, knowing that was where Fury would be.

I walked in and saw The Director standing on his little raised platform, looking over everyone and out to the sky. The view from the hellicarrier was beautiful.

"Good morning, sir," I said as I walked up beside him and threw away the core to my apple.

"Good morning, Agent Aldo. Are you ready to hear your mission?" I nodded, trying to keep the excitement off my face.

Fury reached for a file and handed it to me. It read "Operation Welcome Home". Strange.

I opened it and read the contents of the file as Nick filled me in.

"As you know, Captain Steve Rogers was just found in the ocean, frozen and asleep. His body kept him alive throughout those seventy years. Your mission is to introduce the Captain to the new world. A lot has changed since the 1940s and he's pretty overwhelmed. You will be living with him in an apartment provided to you both by SHIELD for a year. Understood?"

"Wait, director," I asked him nervously. "Does Captain Rogers know about this?"

"No," he said with a smirk, "That's the first part to your mission. Good luck." He turned around briskly and walked out.

I threw my head back and groaned. Ugh, great. I have to tell Captain America, the man I've had a girly little crush on for years, that we will be living together for a year. I wonder what he'll think of that.

Well, I guess I better get to it. First, I got to find where Steve would be. As I walked down the hallway I bumped into Agent Phil Coulson.

"Hey, Phil," I greeted him warmly. Phil was my first friend when I joined here and we got pretty close.

"Hey Elena," he greeted, taking a sip of his coffee. "How are you?"

"Good. Director Fury just assigned me a new mission. It's on Captain America."

Phil's eyes widened in excitement. I swear, Phil was probably Steve's biggest fan. He had all the trading cards and he was very proud.

"Well, that's great." He responded, trying to hide his excitement. I rolled my eyes at his failed attempt.

"Do you happen to know where he is, Phil?" I asked him this, confident that he knew the answer.

"He's down in the gym on the left-wing," he said immediately. I laughed and thanked him as I walked towards the left-wing.

As I got closer, I began to grow more nervous. My hands shook and my palms got sweaty. Why was I so nervous? He's just a man. An incredibly muscular and handsome man . . .

I argued with myself in my head as to whether I should do this now. I reached the entrance to the gym and paused at the door.

Just do it. It's not like he'll punch you or anything.

I opened the door and walked in slowly. The gym was pretty nice, the newest equipment scattered around to help our agents be the best physically possible.

I spotted Steve in the corner of the gym, punching a sandbag. His back was to me and he wore a khaki slacks and a tight white shirt. A tight white shirt that hugged his bulging muscles perfectly.

'Bad girl! Bad Elena!' I scolded myself as I approached him. 'Keep it professional. It's not like he'll be interested in you anyway.'

"Captain Rogers," I called him lightly. He turned around quickly, looking to see who had called his name.

Oh, god. He was even more handsome in person. That hard, manly jaw. That straight nose and full set of lips. And those eyes. Those gorgeous blue eyes. I could get lost in them forever.

"Hello, miss," he said politely in his deep voice, "Can I help you?"

"Y-yes," I stuttered nervously. I mentally slapped myself at my stupidity.

"I'm Agent Elena Aldo," I said as I put out my hand. He grabbed it lightly for a handshake and sparks flew up my arm. I gasped and looked up, noticing Steve's shocked facial expression towards our joined hands. So he felt it, too. That made me jump in joy on the inside, knowing that he felt something.

I dropped my hand to my side as he dropped his.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "I'm a little sweaty." I laughed an shook my head.

"It's alright. You weren't THAT sweaty." This time it was his turn to laugh.

"So what can I do for you Miss Elena?" He asked as he walked over to his bag and began to unwrap his hands. I followed him and presented him with a file.

"I've been issued a mission to introduce you to the new world, Captain. Director Fury believes that you should get more accustomed to the 21st century, so it's my job to do it."

"Oh, well thank you." He said with a smile.

"Wait," I told him nervously. I brought my hands together and began to play with my fingers, something I always did when I was nervous.

"Yes?" he said with one eyebrow raised curiously.

"Well," I began hesitantly. How should I break this to him?

"You can tell me," he encouraged me as he stepped a little closer.

"DirectorFuryhasassignedustolivetogetherinanapartm entprovidedbySHIELDforayear, whichishowlongthismissionwilllast." I blurted out in a jumbled mush as I looked down.

"Pardon?"

I sighed and repeated myself slower.

"Director Fury has assigned us to live together in an apartment provided by SHIELD for a year, which is how long the mission will last." I waited for his response.

Steve looked a little confused, then shock took over his face.

"Together? In an apartment?" He questioned as he stared at me. Oh god, Captain America thinks I'm a psycho.

"I'm really sorry," I apologized, "I don't want to do this. It's my job and I have no idea why Fury chose me and I know you probably think I'm a creep and-"

Steve shook his head with laughter.

"Miss, it's not your fault. Like you said, it's your job. Do you think maybe we could get to know each other a little more before we move in together? All I know about you Elena Aldo, is your name." He stared at me with those gorgeous blue eyes and a light smile in his face.

I nodded my head enthusiastically. I felt like a bobble head.

"Of course, Captain. That's a great idea."

"Please, call me Steve."

"Alright, Steve," I said as I pulled out my phone. It was a phone designed by Tony Stark. He gave it to me as a birthday present last year. I got to know him when he was going through his "I'm dying" phase and we became good friends.

"Would you like to go eat lunch today at 12:30?" I asked him as I checked my schedule. Good, I was free.

"That would be nice, Miss Elena."

"Please, just call me Elena."

He gave me his signature handsome smile and I swooned on the inside.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you Elena." We walked towards the exit and Steve held the door open for me. I stared at him, confused for a second, before I thanked him and walked out. We both went in the same direction.

"Where you headed to, Elena?" He asked me as we walked side by side in the hall.

"I'm going to go do a little paperwork," I said with a look of disgust on my face. He laughed at my expression.

"Well, my room is over here. See you at 12:30." He waved at me and walked off.

As soon as he was out of sight, I did a little happy dance. I was going out to lunch with Steve Rogers!

I hadn't noticed Clint walk up behind me, and I twirled around when I heard him laugh at my antic. I stuck my tongue out at him as he gave me a friendly hug.

"So I heard about your mission," he said with his famous Clinton Barton smirk. "Steve Rogers, huh?"

"Yes, and I have to live with him for a year in an apartment."

"What the hell? Fury assigned this?" he asked a little upset.

I nodded my head and told him I had to go to paperwork. We said out goodbyes and I went off to do my work. I wonder what Steve was doing?Was he excited for lunch?What if he's showering now?

'BAD GIRL!' I scolded myself as I headed to my office.


	3. Chapter 2

Steve POV

I stood in front of the mirror, fixing my hair the way I usually did. I finally got it the way I liked it and went to go get dressed.

What do you wear when you're going out to lunch with a girl you just met a couple of hours ago? I just decided on something normal, well normal to me. I don't know how people dress now. Khaki slacks, brown belt, plaid button up, and my leather jacket. That'll have to do.

I looked at the clock hanging in my room. 12:13. I better go meet Elena. When I first saw her, my breath hitched in my throat. She was one pretty woman. She had wavy black hair, with pale skin and really pretty blue eyes. Her lips were a soft pink and she had adorable little freckles on her button nose. She was pretty short, too. She reached just up to my chest.

All these thoughts about Elena passed through my head as I looked for her room.

I passed by an agent and asked him where it would be. He told me politely and I thanked him.

I reached the door to her room, suddenly getting nervous. I've never been to lunch with a girl. Ever. What if I made a fool of myself? What if she thought I was too old-fashioned and starts considering me as a grandpa?

I hesitantly picked my hand up and knocked softly on the door. I heard someone moving around on the other side.

"Shit," I heard Elena say. Was she okay?

"Miss Elena," I asked worriedly, "You alright in there?"

"Yes! I-I'm fine! Owwww!" I could hear her crying on the other side. What if she's really hurt? I decided to break the door knob, and I let myself in.

I found her standing against the counter in the little kitchenette clutching her finger in pain, tears running down her pale cheeks.

"Elena!" I said as I rushed towards her. Her head turned quickly as she heard my voice.

"Oh, S-Steve. H-Hey." She said in a cracked voice.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Do I need to take you to the hospital?" I said in a rush as I stood in front of her. She laughed softly, and I was a little confused. Why is she laughing if she seems to be in pain?

"Oh, Steve. You are too sweet. No, I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm just being a big wimp. The door shut on my finger, and surprisingly, it hurt. A lot." She laughed at the end of her sentence. I was still blushing because she called me sweet.

"Well do you mind if I take a look?" She nodded her head and placed her small hand in my palm. I noticed her pointer finger was a little red and swollen, so this must be the finger she hurt. I checked for a break or any other sign of serious injury.

"Well I don't think you broke it," I began as I looked up at her, her eyes still swimming in unshed tears. "You just bruised it. You might want to wrap it, 'cause it'll hurt if you try bending it." She tried to bend it and let out a little yelp. Didn't I just say that it would hurt?

"Well alright, Dr. Rogers," she said jokingly, "Will you wrap it for me? The bandages are in the bathroom, in the little cupboard to the right." I smiled and nodded my head. I went to go get the bandages in her bathroom, walking in and turning on the lights. Her bathroom was painted a light blue, and was decorated in different shades of that color. Her bathroom was a lot bigger than mine, I noticed. I looked to my right and noticed said cupboard.

As I walked towards it, I stepped on something soft. I looked down to see a little pile of pink lace. I picked it up to see what it was.

Oh my! I dropped the pair of lacy panties as soon as I realized what they were. I looked into the mirror to see I was blushing a really deep red.

Steve, you idiot. You shouldn't of done that. A woman's business is her own business.

I tried to clear my head as I opened the cupboard and grabbed the bandages. I immediately walked out, trying to forget about those damned panties.

I returned to Elena and she noticed my intense blush. Oh, dammit all to hell.

"Why are you blushing so hard, Steve?" she asked as I began to wrap her finger with shaky hands.

"N-No reason," I stuttered out nervously. She looked at me with one eyebrow raised, staring curiously. My blush got even deeper. I immediately felt guilty for looking at her underwear, but in my defense, I didn't know they were panties!

"Steve," Elena said seriously, "What happened?" I started sweating bullets and I immediately felt guilty for looking.

I shook my head and told her it was no big deal. She looked at me funny but didn't question me further.

I stared at her beautiful face as I finished wrapping her finger. Gosh, she was really pretty. I smiled at her, glad that she stopped questioning me. She smiled back immediately, looking at me with those gorgeous eyes.

"Well I guess we should get going," I said as I read the clock. 12:29.

"Wait, I still need to change!" I noticed that she was wearing gray sweat pants and a loose white t-shirt.

"I'm sorry Steve, but I'll be just one moment!" Elena said as she rushed into her bedroom. I heard her rustling around and a few minutes later she came back dressed in a pretty, white lace dress with short sleeves and a pair of gold sandals on her feet. It seems as if she's very fond of lace, I thought to myself.

"You look lovely," I said to her as I offered her my arm. She blushed and placed her small arm into the crook of my large one and we headed for the door.

We walked down to one of the jets as the pilot greeted Elena. They seemed to know each other and soon we were on our way down into the city of New York. The pilot dropped us off at a park just outside the city. We thanked the pilot and began our walk.

"So where are we eating?" I asked her as we had just entered the busy city, walking down the sidewalks.

Elena looked at me and smiled. "There's this great little café I know, The Blue Mushroom. I know it's a funny name, but they have great food." I nodded and we made our way to the café.

We got there about another five minutes. I held the door open for Elena, and she thanked me. My mother always taught me to be a gentleman. The café was small and cozy. The walls were painted a tan color, little tables and chairs were scattered around the place, and there was dim lighting coming from the paper lanterns that hung on the ceiling, Soft music played in the background.

A hostess came up to us and lead us to our seats. I pulled out the chair for Elena and she stared at me with a smile. She blinked and thanked me as she sat down. I sat down across from her and we ordered our drinks.

"I'll have a sweet tea, please," Elena said politely. I told the waitress I wanted water, not knowing what other drinks they served. The waitress walked away and soon came back with our drinks. She left as quickly as she came, giving us time to look over the menu.

"So what do you usually order?" I asked her hesitantly as I looked at the menu, not being able to recognize some of the foods.

"I usually get their greek salad," Elena said as she took a sip of her drink, "It's really good. But I'm sure a big guy like you needs a little something more . . . meaty." I laughed at her comment and thought a little.

"I wasn't always a big guy," I told her as I looked into her eyes. She cocked her head to the side and looked at me for a while, like she was trying to look through me.

"But you were a man nonetheless," she replied with a small smile. I returned the gesture and soon the waitress came back to take our order. Elena had ended up ordering the greek salad, and I ordered a BLT sandwich. The waitress left again to take our orders to the chef.

"So," she began, "Tell me about yourself."

"Well," I started, "My name is Steven Grant Rogers and I was born in New York City, New York on July 4, 1922. My father passed away from alcoholism and my mother passed away from pneumonia after I graduated high school. I went to college and got a degree in fine arts. My best friend was James "Bucky" Barnes. I was frozen for seventy years. Ummm . . . and I'm Captain America." I ran out of things to say and Elena laughed.

"Your turn," I said as I took another sip of my water.

"Well, my name is Elena Marie Aldo. I was born in a Como, Italy, a small town, but beautiful nonetheless. I was born on March 3, 1991. Both of my parents died when I was seven in a plane crash, and I was a single child. I came to work for SHIELD two years ago and I'm the third highest ranked agent, under Natasha Romanoff and Clinton Barton. Ummm . . . and I like food." I began to laugh really hard and she joined me soon afterwards. It took us a good three minutes before we finally calmed down.

"Well, that's good. I like food, too." I responded with a smile. Elena blushed and looked down at the table.

"You have a lovely blush," I said as I blushed a little myself. Her blush got even redder. Before she could respond, the waitress came back with our food. We thanked her as she set the salad and sandwich down on the table and left. Elena dug in immediately as I hesitantly took a bite of the sandwich. I chewed slowly, savoring the taste. This was great.

We ate our meal quietly, content with comfortable silence. When we finished, I took out a bill from my wallet and set it on the table.

"Oh no, Steve. At least let me pay for my half." Elena said as she reached for her purse. I grabbed her hand to stop her, and she looked up at me with an almost shocked expression.

"Please, Elena, let me. The man should always pay." We argued with each other for the next five minutes before she finally gave up.

"Alright!" Elena said with a laugh, "Alright, you can pay. But I'm going to by us frozen yogurt." I got up and offered her my arm, both of us leaving the café. Frozen yogurt?

"Um," I began a little embarrassed, "What exactly is frozen yogurt?" She looked at me with yet another smile as we walked down the busy streets of New York.

"It's yogurt. That's frozen." she responded casually. I gave her a "Really?" kind of look and she burst out laughing.

"I'm just kidding, Steve! Technically, I am right, but there's more to it than that. There's different flavors of yogurt and you can mix all sorts of candy and fruit in it, too. It tastes almost like ice cream, but it's not the same." I nodded understandingly as she led us into a little shop that read "Scoops! Frozen Yogurt".

We walked over to the these little machines that had these weird handles on them. Elena showed me how to work them and I ended up getting strawberry frozen yogurt while she got sweet coconut. She grabbed my hand and led me to the bar with all sorts of candy and fruit. I didn't miss the current of electricity that ran up my arm, and I hoped that she didn't either.

Elena pointed out all the different types of candy and I loaded my yogurt with chocolate chips and fresh strawberries. She put strawberries on hers as well, along with coconut shavings and something she called "sprinkles". She stepped up and paid for both of our yogurts, Ten dollars, I thought to myself as she paid the man. That sure is expensive. I didn't want to say anything back at the cafe, but I was slightly appalled at the bill. Since when did everything get so expensive?

Elena and I found a park near the shop, and we sat down on a bench by a small tree as we both ate our frozen yogurt.

"This is really good," I told her as I shoved another spoonful into my mouth. "Thank you, Elena."

She nodded her head she she licked the plastic spoon. "Your welcome, Steve. I'm glad you liked it."

We sat there for another two hours, talking about our likes and dislikes, our hobbies and other things. I found out that Elena can play the piano and the violin, dances ballet, and paints. She was a pretty talented girl. I looked down at my watch for the first time in a while. 3:28. Wow, those three hours spent with this amazing woman passed by quick.

We decided that we should get back to base. Elena called the pilot and told him we were ready to get picked up. The pilot arrived in the same place he dropped us off at, and soon we were back on the hellicarrier.

"So," she said as I walked her back to her room, "Are you a little more comfortable with Operation Welcome Home?" she said as she gave me a small smile. I returned her smile with a small one of my own as we reached her door. We stood there, facing each other.

"Yes, actually," I said truthfully, "I think you'll ne a great roommate." She smiled again. Elena sure does smile a lot.

"I'm looking forward to it as well, Mr. Rogers. Well, I had a lovely time, Thank you for accompanying me." She came closer and gave me a small hug. I returned the hug immediately, liking the warmth and comfort that her body gave off. She gives pretty good hugs.

We pulled away and looked at each other a bit awkwardly.

"Well, see you around," I said pathetically as I turned around and walked off. I heard her door open and close as I mentally smacked myself on the head. Way to go, Steve. She probably thought that was rude.

As I walked down to my room, frustrated with myself, I heard a voice on a speaker throughout the ship.

"Attention. Steve Rogers, you are needed at the main control. Steve Rogers." I wonder what they want; more like what Fury wants.

I reached the control room and saw Nick Fury standing in his usual place.

"Yes, sir?" I said to him as he turned around. He looked at me with a blank expression.

"Ah, soldier. I presume Agent Aldo has informed you of Operation Welcome Home?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, sir. She informed me earlier today."

"Good," he said as he turned back around to face the entire room of agents, with their backs to us and working on something they called a "computer". "You two will be moving in to an apartment on Landview Avenue, a street not too far from our base down on the ground. You two will be moving in tomorrow, so I suggest you go pack. Agent Aldo has already been informed."

"Yes, sir," I said as I walked off and went back to my room. I packed my few belongings and decided to read one of my favorite books for the rest of the afternoon. Before I knew it, it was time to go to bed. I had skipped dinner, still pretty full from earlier today.

I got into bed with only my underwear, my usual attire for sleeping. I laid in bed, thinking about no other than the woman who I was to spend the next year with. I wonder what she's doing right now? Getting ready for bed or already sleeping? I wonder what she wears to bed?

Woah, woah, woah! What the hell, man? You just met the woman today. You shouldn't be having such inappropriate thoughts about her, especially this soon.

I kept scolding myself as I turned onto my side and quick fell asleep, letting the darkness envelope my mind and take me to dream land.


	4. Chapter 3

Elena POV

I sat up in my bed, letting out a high pitched scream. I tried to get my breathing under control, my chest rising and falling , not again. Oh God, I thought the nightmares were over. Why are they back? I look at the time on my phone. 5:27 A.M. Ugh, lovely. There's no point in trying to go back to sleep.

I got up and hopped into the shower, trying to wash away my fear. Every night for ten years, I would dream the same dream. A nightmare. It was terrifying. It was my mother, father, and I, and we were on a plane to America, when all of a sudden there's loud beeping everywhere and the sensation of falling hits you. I look at my parents and see the look of recognition and acceptance on their face. They hug and kiss me for the last time, telling me they love me. Next, all I see and hear and feel is fire. Burning, hot fire. Then, that's where the nightmare ends. Unfortunately, it didn't start off as a nightmare. It was a reality. The reality of how my parents died. I missed them so much. They were the only family I had left and when they died, I died. I finished my shower with tears running down my face as I remembered my parents. My mother's black hair, always perfectly done in elegant curls, and her smile, always wearing red lipstick, were the things I remember the most. And she always wore her pearl necklace, which I inherited since it magically survived the plane crash. All I can remember of my father was his deep, burly laugh and how he would always pick me up and we'd dance around to the Italian music playing on the radio as my mother cooked dinner. Those were the times.

I decided to stop reminiscing about the past and think about what was planned today. I had gotten a call from Director Fury last night, him telling me that Steve and I would be moving in today. Some apartment on Landview. When Nick told me that, my eyes sort of popped out of their sockets. The apartments on Landview were very expensive and nice. I'm surprised SHIELD is paying for that. But, I'm not complaining. I got dressed in my uniform and went down to get an early breakfast.

I reached the cafeteria and saw Steve eating his own breakfast. He was already showered and dressed as well.

"Good morning," I say to him with a smile. He looks up at me with his mouth full of cereal. He smiles and the cereal falls out of his mouth. I start laughing as Steve tries to clean up the mess while he blushed a beet red. He looked up at me sheepishly and smiled.

"Hi," he said with a nervous laugh. I let out another small chuckle and joined him at the table.

"How are you?" I look up at him as I poured the milk on my cereal. I got lost in his beautiful eyes for what felt like an eternity. They were so blue, like the ocean. I faintly heard him calling my name in the background, but I thought I was just imagining it. Suddenly I felt something grab my hand and I was knocked back into reality.

"Elena, are you alright?" Steve asked me as he tried to suppress his laughter. Why was he laughing? I suddenly felt something cold dripping on my lap. I look down to find that while I was so lost in his eyes, I had kept pouring the milk in my bowl, which then caused it to spill over and drip off the table.

"Oh, god," I whispered to myself as I blushed a really deep red. I got up and grabbed a few napkins and began to clean up the mess. Steve had gotten up too, and offered to help me. He grabbed a few napkins himself and together we cleaned up the milk. He grabbed all the used napkins and threw them away. I thanked him and sat down to eat. Steve followed my actions.

"So, I guess you like milk, huh?" joked Steve. I gave him a playful scowl and he laughed.

"Can't you tell?" I responded in the same joking manner. We continued eating and talked about the random little things, like the weather. We finished short after and Steve got up and took my plate away and brought it to the sink.

"Oh, Steve," I said as I got up and followed him. "I can do the dishes." I tried to reach for the plates, but Steve grabbed my hands to stop me.

"No, I got it." he responded as he looked at me, his hands still holding mine. We didn't look away immediately and we kept each other's gaze for a while. After about five minutes, we were still looking at each other. Gosh, that man has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen! He is so handsome, I thought to myself as we continued staring. I could stay like this for eternity. All of a sudden, my cell phone beeped and we both snapped back into reality, looking away and blushing. I huffed in annoyance and checked to see who had interrupted my time with the Captain. It was Natasha.

_Fury has the jet ready for take off. Be here in 10 minutes._ Well that was speedy.

"Steve, the jet is ready for take off. We should go get our things." He nodded as he turned off the the sink. We left the cafeteria and walked towards our rooms.

"Do you need help carrying your things, Elena?" asked Steve as he looked down at me. Don't look into his eyes, don't look into his eyes.

"Actually, yes," I responded as we reached his room first, "I kind of have a lot of things." Steve nodded as he opened the door to his room. It was quite simple, the standard room here at the base. White bed, white couch, white walls. Steve walked over to his bed and grabbed the one box with ease. He looked around the room one last time as he shut the door. We reached my room shortly, considering mine was just around the corner from his. I opened the door and Steve was shocked to find three boxes filled with my things.

"Are you sure you want to help, Steve?" I asked with my hand on my hip.

"I think I can handle it," he said as he reached for two of the boxes. I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Woah there, big guy," I said as I reached for the two instead, "You take one. That way we both carry two." I held the the boxes and he stared at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He shook his head.

"No, I insist," Steve said as he grabbed the boxes from my arms. He carried them with ease. Of course he could carry them with ease. His arms were huge. So strong and manly . . . I shook my head to rid my mind of thoughts that had anything to do with Captain Rogers's body.

"Yes, Captain." I told him as I saluted him and grabbed the one remaining box. He chuckled at my actions and we made our way over to the jet, where we met Natasha. She waved at us and told us to but the boxes in and get ready for take off. I hugged her goodbye and told her I would call her as soon as we got settled.

"Don't go and get freaky with the Captain," she whispered in my ear with a smirk. She knew that I thought he was handsome and I smacked her on the arm as I stuck my tongue out at her. Thank heavens Steve had already settled in the jet. I hugged Nat one more time and made my way over to sit next to Steve. I buckled in and held on as the pilot took off from the hellicarrier.

"You excited to see the apartment?" Steve asked as he looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, yeah," I responded, "The apartments on Landview are pretty nice. And I'm pretty excited to decorate."

"Do I get a say in the matter?" Steve asked with his famous smile. Look away, Elena. Or else you'll make a fool of yourself.

"Of course. We're both sharing the apartment so we both have to pick out the decorations."

"Shopping," said Steve with a worried look, "Lovely." I laughed at his expression of nervousness. He smiled at me with warmth in his eyes.

"What?" I said as he continued to smile at me.

"You have a pretty laugh," he whispered. I blushed for the umpteenth time today and thanked him.

The pilot had landed after another ten minutes, and Steve and I got up to get our stuff. We got down from jet and it took off once we were safely away. We both looked up at our new home and I fell in love. I squealed with excitement as I jogged over to the door of the nice place. I pulled the key out of my pocket, unlocked the door and hurried inside. I dropped my box and ran around the apartment. It was HUGE! It had nice wood flooring, with white walls in each room. When you first entered, there was a spacious living room with two hallways that led to the two bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen. I ran my way back to the living room to see Steve looking around.

"Nice place," said Steve as he put the boxes down. "Which room would you like?" I thought about it really hard. There was one room that faced the whole city of New York and another one that faced the water. Hmmm . . .

"I would like the one that overlooks the city," I told him as I walked to the room and he followed. "If that's okay, Captain?"

"Of, course. Ladies first," he said as he gave a dramatic bow. I laughed at his silliness. Steve was a pretty funny guy.

"Now," I said as I walked up to him, "Would you like to get the torture over with today or tomorrow?" He looked at me utterly confused,

"Torture?"

"Shopping!" I said in a high, girly voice. Steve pretended to look terrified and we both ended up doubling over in laughter. We laughed for a good five minutes. Steve makes me laugh a lot, which is something I find attractive in a guy. He's sweet, handsome, and funny. How much more perfect could he get?


	5. Chapter 4

Steve POV

Elena and I had decided to go shopping today instead of tomorrow, that way we can get the "torture" over with. To be honest, I don't think I'd mind shopping with Elena. I don't think I'd mind doing just about anything with her.

Along with the nice apartment, SHIELD had also provided us a car. A Mercedes. Where on earth do they get this kind of money?

"OK," Elena said as we both had just finished putting all of our things away. "I'm going to go change into something a little more. . . normal." She gestured to her skin-tight suit and I nodded.

"Take your time," I said to her as I went to go explore the rest of the apartment. The kitchen had black tile floors with marble counter tops and dark wood cabinets. The bathroom also had black tile flooring along with a glass shower and classic white tub. The toilet was behind the another door on the east side of the bathroom. This was a really nice place, I thought to myself as I wandered back to the living room.

"I'm ready!" said Elena as she came out of her room. She wore dark denim shorts that reached mid-thigh, a loose white cotton shirt, and the same gold sandals she wore yesterday.

"You look nice," I said to her as we headed to the door. She thanked me as we got the car. I decided to let Elena drive, considering that she was more familiar with this type of car.

"So," I began as we made our way onto the streets, "How much did SHIELD say we can spend?" She looked at me with smirk.

"They gave us each a credit card. I have yours in my purse and I'll give it to you once we get to the store. Fury said we didn;t have a budget, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Wow," I said a little shocked.

"I know." She responded with a nod. After another minute she looked at me again.

"You mind if I turn on the radio?"

I looked at her then back to the front of the car with all these little buttons that did God knows what.

"There's a radio in the car?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "All the cars today have one. Along with a CD player and A/C and a bunch of other stuff." CD? What's that?

"What exactly is a CD?" I said to her a little sheepishly. She probably thought I was stupid. But Elena told me how all the things in the car worked with a lot of patience. She finally turned on the radio and she squealed as she turned the music up.

"I love this song!" She began to nod her head as she sang along to the lyrics of the unfamiliar song.

"It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters and make fun of our ex's, ah ah," I laughed as she began to move her arms as well.

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M FEELING 22!" We were both cracking up and Elena reached over to turn the music down to a more sensible volume.

"Who was that?" I asked her as I looked at the radio in awe.

"Taylor Swift. I only like a few of her songs, though." I nodded, not really knowing who this Taylor Swift was. I think she noticed.

"Don't worry, Steve. I'll get you familiar with all these things." I nodded as she pulled into a parking spot.

"Wait there," I told her as I hopped out of the car and ran over to Elena's side. I opened the car door for her and held out my arm for her to grab. She looked at me with a strange expression, like if she didn't understand why I was doing this. But nonetheless, she took my arm and I softly closed the door shut.

"It seems as if you're not used to all that," I mumbled to myself, but Elena still heard me.

"Used to what?"

I looked at her as we walked. The sun was out and it shined bright upon her face. I never noticed, but in the sun her hair turned out to be a very dark brown instead of black. How interesting. She really was a beauty. That smile, those eyes. Especially her eyes. They were the prettiest shade of blue, like the crystal clear waters in Italy. Even her nose was cute, small and spotted with little freckles.

I was so into observing the beauty in front of me that I hadn't realized she was calling my name.

"Steve?" She asked as she waved her hand in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized as she looked at me with one eyebrow raised, "I guess I zoned out a little."

"I'll say," she replied with a small giggle, "You didn't answer my question. You guess that I'm not used to what?"

"A man acting like a gentleman," I told her as I held the door open for her. She walked in to the store and I followed letting her take the lead.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not. Not a lot of men act like that anymore. It's a shame, really." I thought about what she had said. That was upsetting. Where had all of the manners gone?

"Ok," she said as she stopped and turned around to face me, "I think we should get the main pieces of furniture first, like our beds, the couch and dining room table. Then we can get all of the other stuff after that."

"Yes m'am," I said as I saluted her. She laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me along to start our long shopping day.

I never knew shopping could be so exhausting. We had spent all day picking out the things we needed for our new home. Elena was so excited throughout the whole process. Women.

But, there was a little problem. The company couldn't deliver the big things, such as the beds and couch, today, so we would have to wait until tomorrow to sleep comfortably. I guess Elena and I would be sleeping on the floor.

We reached the new house at 9:30. We drudged up the stairs slowly, so exhausted from today's events. I unlocked the door and as soon as we had both made it inside, we shut the door and sunk down to the floor, leaning against it.

"So," I began as I got up, "What do you want to do about the sleeping arrangements?" She squinted her eyes and scrunched up her nose as she thought. God, she was adorable.

"How about we set up the new television, get a bunch of blankets and watch movies until we fall asleep? I wish we could eat a bunch of junk food too, but I haven't gone grocery shopping yet."

"Sounds good," I said. Elena held up her arms, asking for help up. I grabbed her hands softly and pulled her up off the ground. I guess I pulled a little too hard, considering she smacked into my chest. I held onto her waist as she stumbled a little, not wanting her to fall over. She placed her hands flat on my chest as she regained her balance.

"Sorry," I said as I looked down at her. I then realized the position we were in and I dropped my hands immediately, a blush forming across my cheeks.

"It's alright Captain," she said as she walked off to get the blankets, "I'm sure your used to women falling in your arms all the time." She winked at me before she disappeared outside. I chuckled and followed her. She was funny.

"Steve, do you think you could grab the television? It's a little heavy." I nodded and carried the television into our apartment. Elena came in holding all the blankets.

"I don't know how we got that thing to fit in our car," she mumbled to herself. It was pretty big.

"OK," she said as she dropped the blankets on the floor, "I have a mission for you, Captain. I need you to get the television out of the box, and then I'll set it up." I gave her another salute and did as I was told.

Elena had the television set up in no time. I spread the blankets on the floor and went off to go change into my pajamas. Elena did the same. I changed into a pair of red pants and a white undershirt. I walked out to see Elena already laying on the blankets. She wore a pink over-sized shirt and black shorts. I stared at her legs as she laid on her stomach. Those shorts sure were . . . short.

"So I think we should watch a funny movie, Considering that you haven't seen any modern day films, you'll just have to trust me." I got down on the floor next to her as she grabbed the things she called a "remote" and pressed play. Elena had explained to me at the store how all of these things worked. The television had a built in DVD player, which Elena had kindly explained to me about, and she had already placed the DVD inside.

"We're going to watch Bridesmaids," she said as she looked up at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back with a set of perfect straight teeth and pink lips.

The movie was absolutely hilarious. Elena and I couldn't stop laughing, especially the part where they were on the airplane.

"My name is Steve," the flight attendant said.

"Whatever, Stove." Elena and I couldn't stop laughing for about ten minutes.

"Oh my god, I'm going to start calling you Stove now!"

"I'm not an air marshal!" I quoted the movie. That only made us laugh harder. We had finally quieted down and we finished the movie. The credits started playing and I looked over to see Elena had fallen asleep, snoring slightly with her mouth wide open. I chuckled. She was too cute.

Without thinking, I leaned over and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. I sighed and laid down getting ready for sleep. But sleep never came. My mind began to wander through my past. Faces of Bucky, Howard and Peggy flashed through my mind.

Peggy. It still hurt a little every time I thought about her. She was my first love. I knew she wasn't dead, but living somewhere in England. SHIELD had given me her phone number, but I didn't have the courage to call. I'm pretty sure she's happy with her life and I need to move on, just like her. I need to start anew. My past is behind me, and now it's time to live in the present.

But I don't think moving on will be too hard, as long as this little sleeping beauty is around.


	6. Chapter 5

Elena POV

Fire. That's what surrounded me. Burning, hot and livid fire.

I woke up with a scream. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was having the nightmare again. Damn, two nights in a row? What's happening?

This time I broke out into tears, not being able to contol th emotions inside of me, All of a sudden I felt a warm hand on my back. I looked up to find Steve looking at me with a worried expression.

"Are you alright?" he whispers to me as he scooted himself a little closer, all the while rubbing my back to comfort me. That was new. I haven't had anyone to comfort me in over 15 years, since my parents died. After they died, I went to live in an orphanage in Italy. I was treated horribly and nobody ever showed me any kindness. So when Steve is always nice to me and acts like a gentleman, it shocks me. I was so used to being shunned and looked down upon, but when I was with Steve I felt completely normal and even cared for.

"I'm f-fine," I stutter out as I continue to cry, "Just a b-bad d-dream." Steve looks at me sympathetically as he pulls me to him and embraces me. I burry my head in the crook between his neck and shoulder as wrap my arms tightly around his neck. Sobs began to wrack my body as I clung onto Steve for dear life. I just could not stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. So much emotion coursed through me and I held onto Steve tighter.

"Shhh," he said as he continued rubing my back. "It's going to be okay. It was just a dream. It wasn't real."

"No!" I said as I sat up and looked at him, tears still running down my face. "It wasn't just a dream! It actually happened! It was real!" Steve looked at me sadly as I hiccupped and new sobs started to form.

"What was your dream about?" he whispers slowly as he pushes my hair over my shoulder. I sniffle and try to tell him.

"M-m-my parents," I say while crying, "A-A-And how th-th-they d-d-died in the plane c-c-crash." Steve looked at me with such uncomprehendible sadness. Why is he sad?

"I'm sorry," he whispers sadly. "I know what it's like to lose your parents. It's hard." I just nod, not being able to get any words pasy my quivering lips.

"I'm here. Don't worry. I'll take care of you." I looked back up to Steve as he spoke those words. How can a man that I met two days ago be this caring? Now, tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks.

"Please, don't cry." He begged me, "Pretty girls should never cry." I choked out a laugh. He wsa so sweet.

"No, Steve," I whispered as I looked into his blue eyes, "I'm crying because I'm happy. You're the only whose really cared and I met you two days ago. I know I have other friends, but they just didn't understand." I hug him so tight that my arms begin to hurt. He hugs me back with even tighter. I don't think Steve realizes his own strength, considering he was nearly crushing me to his chest. I wouldn't be complaining under normal circumstances, but I couldn't breathe.

"Steve . . . can't . . . breathe," I gasped fro air as his hold loosened on me. He smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry," he says shyly, "I always forget how strong I can be."

"I'll say," I laugh at him and feel his bisceps. Sweet heaven, this man had some muscle.

"I didn't always have these muscles," he said as he looked down at himself, "I was really skinny and short. Women never gave me a second glance, I still think they don't."

"What?!" I nearly shout, "Steve, you are crazy!" He raises an eyebrow to me, gesturing for me to explain.

"You're so handsome," I tell him while I look down and blush, "You've always been handsome in my opinion. I've seen old photos of you and I think you're just as good looking as you are now."

"Really?" he asks curiously. I look up to see him blushing slightly with a small smile on his face.

"Yes. I wouldn't have minded going on a date with the old Steve Rogers at all."

"Would you mind going on one with the new one?" he asked as he looked at me. My eyes widened in shock and I blushed. Me? Captain America wants to go on a date with me?

"Y-Yes," I stuttered out, "Are you sure? 'Cause I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, I' think you really cute and ywe'd have fun and I just, I don't know." Smooth, Elena, smooth. Steve just laughed at me.

"That's so cute," he said as he put a piece of my hair behindmy ear.

"What is?" I ask him as I raise an eyebrow.

"When you get nervous," he replied with a smile. I blushed and looked away. I notcied the time on the clock.

"Holy crap," I said, "4:43."

"We should get back to bed," he said as he layed down on his back. I followed his actions and closed me eyes as sleep took over.

I woke up with my head on something that was not a pillow. It was much more comfortable than that. I open my eyes to find myself on a man's chest. A very muscular and manly chest. I look up to see Steve, still sleeping and snoring lightly with his mouth wide open. I giggled. He was cute.

I also noticed that one arm was wrapped tightly around my waist and the other was on my back. I was basically laying completely on top of him. I tried to wiggle my way out of his grasp, but as soon as I moved it only tightened. I sighed as I tried to find a way out.

All of a sudden, my bladder began to whine. Oh no. I tried to move my way out from underneeth his arms, but it was no use. I was stuck and I had to pee. Bad. Ok, I give up.

"Steve!" He woke with a start and brought me closer to his chest as he looked around for danger.

"Elena, what's wrong?"

"I have to pee and you won't let go," I told him blankly. He looked down and realized that he was holding me. He blushed and apologized, letting his arms fall.

"Thank you," I said as I got up and went to go do my business. After I washed my hands, I went out to find Steve had fallen asleep again. This time he was snoring even louder. I laughed and went to go get the camera we had bought yesterday. I quickly snapped a picture and reminded myself to take more.

"Well," I said to myself, "Guess I'll cook the breakfast." I walked into the kitchen and that's when I realized we had no food. Shit.

"I guess I'll go pick some up," I said to myslef as I went to go get dressed. I threw on a white, knee-length circle skirt, a denim button-up, and my pink ballet flats. I put my hair into a top-knot and slipped on a pearl headband. I grabbed my purse and went back to the kitchen to leave a note so Steve wouldn't think I got kidnapped.

I grabbed the car keys and locked the door behind me as I took in the sinshine. It sure was getting warm. I got into the car and buckled up as I turned on the radio. S&M began to play and I turned it up as I drove to the Merry Cafe, a small little place that served great breakfast foods. I got there in no time, having taken a route that avoided the famous New York traffic.

I ordered pancakes, bacon, and two small fruit bowls. I hope that'll be enough, I thought to myslef as I put the food on the passenger's seat. Steve was a big guy and big guys eat a lot. As I drove, I decided to go to Starbucks as well. I was in the mood for something sweet.

I walked into the coffee shop and the wonderful aroma of brewing coffee hit my nose. I decided to get Steve and me frappuccinos. I got a strawberry one for him and a green tea one for me.

By the time I got back home, it was 7:20. I left at 6:50. I opened the door quitely and tried to make as little noise as possible, not knowing if Steve was still asleep. I walked into the living room to find him in the same position as I left him in. He must've been tired. Guilt washed over me as I realized that I was the one that kept him up at night and prevented him from sleeping.

I put our food on plates and realized that we would have to eat in the living room, considering that our furniture hadn't arrived yet. It would get here later today.

I brought all the food to the blankets Steve and I had slept on. I sat down and began to wake up Steve.

"Steve," I said as I shook his shoulder slightly, "Steve, wake up."

"Hmmm?" he said as he rolled over on to his stomach, showing me his backside. Don't look at his ass, Elena, don't look at his ass.

"Steve!" I yelled in a whisper, "Come on. Wake up!" This time I began to slap his back softly. He still wouldn't wake up. I pulled his hair rather hard and that got his attention.

"Ow," he said as he rolled back over on to his back and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Goodmorning, Sleeping Beauty," I teased him as he squinted at me. His hair was all over the place and sticking in every single direction. He was so adorable. "I got breakfast." That seemed to have woken Steve up as he looked over to see all the food. Men.

"This looks delicious," he said as he began to wolf down his food. I laughed as he finished the four pancakes and moved onto the bacon.

"Someone's hungry," I said as I ate some of my fruit. I went to take a sip of my drink and when I reached for it and found nohting but air I remembered that I had left them in the kitchen. I got up and went to go get them. As I came in, Steve looked up at me and then to the drinks in my hands.

"What are those?" He asked curiously as I handed him his drink.

"Strawberry Frappuccino from Starbucks."

"A what?" he said as he looked at it. Oh, that's right. Steve probably didn't know about Starbucks.

"It's like a milkshake," I told him as he took a sip, "And Starbucks is probaly the most famous coffee shop in the world. They're all over."

"This is good," Steve said as he took another sip. I nodded and we continued our meal in silence.

"Thank you, Elena, for breakfast," Steve had said as we finished our meal. It was pretty good and I was stuffed.

"Your welcome." I went to go throw everything away and put the dishes in the sink. I'd wash them later.

"So what do you want to do today, Steve?" as he walked into the kitchen, still in his pajamas.

"I don't know," he said as he walked over to me, "How about we get the house all set up, abd tomorrow I'll take you on that date." He winked at me and I blushed a deep red.

"S-Sure," I said nervously with a smile. He smiled back and my heart nearly stopped. He was so gorgeous.

"I'm going to go shower," he said as he turned around and disappeared down the hallway. I heard the water turn on and I looked around, trying to find something to do after I had washed the dishes.

I decided to go put on my point shoes. I was in the mood to dance. I cleared the living room and plugged my iPod into the built-in dock on the wall. That was so cool. The speakers were also built into the walls and were on the ceiling. The music began and soon I was lost in it.

Whenever I danced, I felt as if I was in another world. All my worries floated away and I lived in the moment. I felt like I was flying whenever I turned and jumped. It made me feel so . . . feminine. I felt so light and graceful, the way a woman should feel.

The song had ended and I heard clapping behind me. I turned to find Steve leaning on the doorframe in his usualt attire, applauding.

"Wow," he said as he walked up to me, "That was beautiful. You're very talented." I blushed and thanked him.

"So, Steve," I said switching topics, "I was thinking that we should paint the walls now. That way we don't have to move the furniture around when it gets here."

"That's a great idea." he said, "I'll go get all the things from the car."

We had decided on painting the living room a tan color, the kitchen a light yellow, the bathroom a light green, my room a periwinkle, and Steve's a red.

This was going to be a long day, I thought to myself as Steve walked in with all the things.

We had finished painting the enitre house at 3:00 and the delivery men had dropped off our furniture at 5:00. They had set up all the big things and were done withthin the hour. As soon as they had left, I ran to the couch and fell on it.

"This is so nice!" I said as Steve laughed at me and went to go sit on one of the chairs.

"Yeah, it is. We have good taste." I laughed and Steve and I had spent the rest of the night putting things in their place. We went to bed around 9:30, exhausted from the day's work.

"Oh, Elena," Steve said before I enetred my room. I turned around to look at him with a questioning look on my face.

"Don't forget about that date," he said with a smirk and a wink. I blushed a beet red and hurried to my room, closinng the door quickly behind me.

Then it struck me. I HAVE A DATE WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA!

Holy crap. What am I going to wear?


	7. Chapter 6

Steve POV

Why am I so nervous? It's just a date. Come on, Steve. Man up. My hands wouldn't stop shaking and I was slightly sweating. What was it about Elena that made me react like this? It's never happened before, not even with Peggy.

"Ok! I'm ready!" Elena walked into the living room. My breath hitched in my throught. She wore a soft pink cotton dress that flared out from the waist with thick straps. A thin, brown leather belt was around her tiny waist and she wore white heels. Her hair was curled and she wore natural make-up. She was gorgeous.

"You l-look breathtaking," I stuttered out nervously. Pretty women always made me nervous.

"Thank you, Steve," she replied with a smile, "So where are we going on this date tonight?"

"It's a surprise," I told her as I offered her my arm. This time she took my gentlemanly gesture without a second thought.

"I love surprises," she whispered as she looked up at me from beneath her lashes. My heart skipped a beat. Those eyes. . .

"I'm glad," I responded a little late, considering that I was so lost in her eyes that it prevented me from forming any words in my head. Elena was pure beauty. Elena began to walk towards the car, but I pulled on her arm to stop her.

"We won't be taking the car," I said a little hesitantly, "We'll be walking. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, I like walking." I nodded my hand and lead her to the right direction. Her arm still tucked into mine, we walked side by side. We made small talk, asking each other about our day and commenting on the weather. "It's not much farther," I reassured her as we approached our destination. She seemed to perk up a little and began to walk faster. I really hoped she liked what I had planned. I placed my hands over her eyes, not wanting to spoil the effect of the surprise as we neared our destination.

"Steve, I can't see!" Elena said as she stopped walking, not wanting to continue without her vision.

"Don't worry. I'll guide you." She huffed a little in annoyance but listened to me nonetheless. I led her slowly over to the little dinner I had set up. Late last night, I had snuck out of our apartment to set up a small dinner table and chairs hidden behind the big trees of a nice park we had passed by yesterday. Once you got past the trees, there was a little area of grass, which was on top of a hill. From there, you could see the water. I had gone to the cafe we had eaten at on our first day and had gotten them to deliver the food to our little spot. I really put a lot of thought into this and I was just hoping that Elena would like it. "Ok," I told her as I stopped her in front of the little setup,

"Open your eyes." I unconvered her hands to reveal to her what I had done fro the evening. She gasped and moved her hand to cover her mouth.

"Oh, Steve," she said in a whisper, "This is absolutely lovely." She turned to look at me and gave me one of her breathtaking smiles. I smiled back, happy with her reaction. "Well, I'm glad you like it." I said to her as I lightly grabbed her hand and led her over to the table. I pulled out the chair for her and she thanked me quietly as she sat down. I went over and started to set up the food. My back was to her as I prepared the food. I finished quickly, wanting to continue with our date. As I brought the food over to the table, I noticed Elena looking out into the water.

"It really is beautiful," she said as she looked back over to me. I placed our plates on the table and she thanked me once again.

"I ordered from the Blue Mushroom," I told her as I finally sat down to eat. She nodded her head and told me she recognized their food. We ate dinner comfortably as we talked about all sorts of things, such as more of our interests.

"What do you like to do in your free time, Steve?"

"Well," I began, "I enjoy reading and drawing. I also like to go to the gym and spend a few hours on the punching bag. It's a good way to let out stress." She nodded her head.

"Yeah, whenever I have a bad day I usually go to the gym as well. If I'm really upset I'll get either Clint or Natasha to fight me, just so I can let out my anger."

"Is being a SHIELD agent really that stressful?" I questioned her as I took our empty plates away.

"Is being Captain America really that stressful?" she responded sarcastically with her eyebrows raised. I laughed. She did have a point.

"You could say that again," I told her as I reached for her hand. She took it willingly and I puller her up from her seat. I held onto her hand as I led us over to another part of the clearing behind another set of big trees.

"Where are we going, Steve?"

"Don't worry," I told her as we maneuvered are way through the trees. It had already gotten dark and it was a little spooky going through them at night. We finally reached the little clearing and Elena let go of my hand to look around. It was a circular meadow filled with wildflowers in the colors of orange, pink, yellow, and meadow was completely surrounded by trees, but I knew the way out. I had set up a little blanket for us so we could stretch out and look at the stars.

"You really did think of everything, Captain," Elena said as she walked over to the blanket and elegantly sat down. She looked at me expectantly as she patted the spot next to her. I slowly made my way over to her and sat down next to her, unfortunately not as graceful as she had. I landed with a light thud and scooted myself closer to the beauty next to me, just close enough for our arms to almost touch. We looked at the sky silently for a few minutes before Elena had decided to lay down, and me soon following her actions. We laid together for what felt like hours as we looked up at the sky, pointing out certain constellations and stars.

"Steve," Elena said quietly, almost nervously.

"Yes, Elena?"

"What was it like?" she questioned as she moved to lie on her side, facing me. I turned to my side as well and propped my head on my bent arm.

"What was what like?" I questioned her. She looked at me unsure for a few seconds before she spoke quietly.

"The war." I immediately stiffened as memories of the past flooded though my head. All these years had passed, but to me it felt as if it were a few days ago.

"I'm so sorry, Steve. I shouldn't have asked." Elena rushed when she noticed my change in posture.

"No," I told her as I looked into her blue eyes, "No, it's okay. The war was . . . hard. Watching men, some of them even close friends, getting killed in action to protect our country. I lost my best friend, Bucky, in the war. You two would have gotten along well." She nodded understandingly. "I also became good friends with Howard Stark and Peggy Carter."

Elena looked at me for a second before she murmured quietly.

"You loved her." I looked at her shocked as she stared back with a calm expression.

"How did you know?"

"It's obvious," she told me as she picked one of the flowers and began to twirl it in her hand. "When you said her name, your whole facial expression changed and the look in your eyes said it all." I sighed. My mother did always tell me I was an open book. "She's still alive, you know," Elena whispered as she rolled over onto her stomach and continued to pick flowers. "She lives somewhere in England. I can give you her phone number if you want."

"No," I said quietly, "That's alright. I need to let her go. It's in my past and I need to start living a new life." Elena looked at me with a small smile on her face.

"That's a good attitude," she told me as she got one of the pink flowers and tucked it behind my ear. She giggled and continued to place the flowers in my hair. I laid back and let her, loving the sensation I got whenever her hand brushed against my skin. She finished putting the flowers in my hair and she sat back to look at me and burst out laughing.

"I need to take a picture!" She laughed as she reached into her purse for her phone. She grabbed it and held it in front of her face.

"Smile!" she said. I did as she said and Elena quickly took the photo. She had already showed me how her phone worked, including the camera. It really amazed me how far technology had gone. It sure was far more complex than the technology from my decade.

"Oh, Steve! You look so pretty!" she teased me as she showed me the photo. I laughed as I saw all the flowers she had placed in my hair. I shook my head back and forth quickly and the flowers flew out around me. Elena squealed as the flowers went everywhere.

"Here," Elena said as she got closer to me,"You still have a few." I let her pick out the flowers from my hair. She moved her hands gently as she pulled out another seven of them.

"There," she said as she finished. She looked at me with a smile on her face and I couldn't help but stare. I had never seen such a beautiful woman, not even Peggy could compare.

"You are so beautiful," I told her as I raised my hand to softly caress her cheek. She blushed and looked down, but I caught her chin and moved her head back up to look at me. She was only a few inches away from my face and I could smell her sweet perfume as it's wonderful aroma surrounded me. We stared at each other for what felt like hours, but in reality it was only minutes. I closed my eyes and slowly began to lean forward with my hand still holding her chin, and I felt Elena lean foward as well. Our lips barely met when an explosion had gone off and sent us flying.


	8. Chapter 7

Elena POV

I was so close to Steve, only a few inches away. I could smell his cologne and I was in heaven. He was just so manly. Everything about him screamed "I'm a big, strong man." and it was the truth. Steve was a big, strong man. But, he was also gentle and kind. He still held onto my chin as he closed his eyes and began to lean forward. I found myself leaning in as well as I shut my eyes, waiting for our lips to meet. Our lips barely met and in that millisecond I felt the cliché "fireworks".

By the next millisecond, I found myself soaring through the air as the sound of an explosion met my ears. I landed with a hard thud about twenty feet away from the blanket, Steve landing no too far from me.

"Elena!" Steve cried as he got up quickly and ran to me. He picked me up bridal style and began to run back to our apartment.

"Steve, what are you doing?!" I yelled at him as he burst through the door of our apartment and ran to the bathroom. Why the bathroom? Oh right, no windows. He places me in the little closet where the toilet is. Gross.

"Stay here," said Steve as he looked seriously into my eyes, "Do not leave this closet under any circumstances. I'll come back to get you." He cupped my cheek and looked at me with an expression of pain before he turned around to leave.

"Wait!" I yelled at him. He turned back around and looked at me questioningly. "I'm coming with you." Steve began to violently shake his head.

"No way in hell, Elena," he said sternly as he looked me in the eyes, "You are staying here."

"Do you not remember that I am a trained S.H.I.E.L.D agent?" I questioned him as I crossed my arms over my chest. I looked at him expectantly.

"Yes, I know you're a trained agent, but . . ." Steve hesitated slightly before he looked down and softly whispered, "I can't lose you. You're the only one I have left." My heart instantly broke for this soldier. Steve had gone through so much. Loosing everyone he knew and loved and waking up in a completely different world. He was almost broken, barely hanging on by a string.

"Oh Steve," I whisper as I reach up and cup his warm cheek in my small hand. His eyes close and a tear rolls down his cheek, falling onto my hand. "You will never lose me. I promise." He opens his eyes and looks at me with such a sadness my heart couldn't bear. I let go of his cheeks and throw my arms his neck, pulling him down into a tight embrace. He immediately returned it, wrapping his large arms around my small frame and squeezing me to his chest. We stayed like this for a few minutes before my S.H.I.E.L.D bracelet began to beep.

I pressed the lit communication button and Director Fury's voice came through the small microphone planted inside.

"Agent Aldo. Are you with Captain Rogers?"

"Affirmative," I say into the bracelet. Steve is just looking at my wrist, completely astonished at such an invention. "What's happened?"

"It's Kytrae. You and the Captain get down there as soon as possible. There are about 200 men. Hurry." Kytrae was a Russian terrorist group much like Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D had dealt with them before, and it didn't end pretty. Loses on both side weakened us both, even devastated us.

"Yes, sir. ETA about two minutes." I shut off the communication on the bracelet and burst out of the bathroom, running towards my room. I heard Steve's heavy footsteps following me quickly. As soon as I made it into my bedroom I immediately flung off my dress, not caring whether Steve saw anything or not. I ran to my closet and pulled on my uniform. Grabbing my guns and knives, I ran back out of my room as Steve followed me. I handed him an earpiece as I instructed him on how to use it to communicate with the others. I put my own in and immediately recognized the voice coming through the other end.

"Hey kid, you better get over here or else Fury will have your tits." What the fuck?

"Tony, you crazy son of a bitch," I laughed into the earpiece as Steve and I ran down the street towards the dim glow of lit fires and the sounds of guns firing.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." He responded. I heard the sound of his little laser shooters in the background. Steve and I were real close now. I pumped my legs faster, determined to get there in time.

We made our way into the block of the fighting and I gasped. Buildings were up in roaring flames, smoke rising up to the sky in a thick haze. Cars overturned, glass and other debris littered the street as civilians ran for an exit. The police had arrived and instructed them to make their way underground. I saw Tony up in the air in his suit, shooting down Kytrae men from above. Clint and Natasha were on the ground fighting off soldiers, Hawkeye using his bow and Black Widow using her guns and knives similar to mine.

Steve and I immediately went to work. I pulled out my guns and fired at the oncoming soldiers as Steve went with hand to hand combat with his shield. "To your left!" I warned Steve as a soldier was running towards him, a knife raised to attack. Steve turned and punched the man in the face, knocking him out.

This continued on for some time, Steve using his fists and shield to knock the men out and me using my guns and knives. All of a sudden, I felt the familiar, searing pain of a bullet hitting my arm. I clutched my arm as I let out a small scream.

"Elena!" Steve yelled as he noticed my injury. He ran towards me and kicked the oncoming soldier in the chest, sending him flying through the air. Steve turned to me with such a fear in his eyes as he looked at my arm, and then to my face.

"I'm fine," I reassured him as I put pressure on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. I looked back up to see a soldier aiming his gun to Steve's turned back. I quickly grabbed one of my knives and threw it with a flick of my wrist, the blade hitting the man straight in the heart. He collapsed with a light thud, the gun falling from his hands.

I looked around me to see that all the Kytrae soldiers were either dead or unconscious, their bodies littering the ground. S.H.I.E.L.D had finally arrived, pulling up in the familiar black cars. Director Fury and Phil stepped out of the first car, making their way towards Steve and me as other agents took care of the bodies. The ones who remained alive would be taking in for questioning and the ones who were dead would be disposed of properly, usually meaning cremation.

Natasha and Clint had made their way over to us, asking if we were alright and vice versa. Tony dropped down from the sky, landing with a soft thud and coming over to give me a hug.

"Hey, kiddo." He said as he ruffled my hair. I huffed in annoyance as I pulled away from him.

"I'm not a kid." I said sternly as I glared at him. He just laughed and picked me up, swinging me around in circles as I laughed uncontrollably. He put me down after a few seconds of my protesting that if he didn't stop soon I would puke all over his precious suit.

"Tony, this is Steve Rogers AKA Captain America." I said as Steve had made his way over to where Tony and I were.

" ," said Steve in a polite voice as he held out his hand. Tony looked at him with a "For real?" kind of look but shook his hand anyways.

"Cap-sicle," Tony responds sarcastically. Ugh, typical Tony. I smacked him upside the head. "Ow! What the fu-"

"I've see all of you have survived this incident," Fury interrupted him as he had finally made his way over to where we were standing.

"-Ck?" Tony finished his statement. All of us burst out laughing, even Nick let out a small chuckle.

"Alright, good job everyone. I want all you back at HQ at 23:00 hours tomorrow. Go and get some rest." We responded with a chorus of "Yes, sir" except for Tony. He said "Whatever." And flew off into the sky, back to his tower.

"Elena, your arm." Steve said calmly as he walked up to me and examined the bullet wound. Oh yeah, I forgot I had been shot. This was a usual thing for me, so it really didn't bother me that much. It actually seemed to bother Steve more than it did me, even though I was the one actually feeling the pain. Steve led me over to the S.H.I.E.L.D paramedics that showed up at every conflict, just in case any one of our own or any civilians got injured.

The paramedics had fixed up my arm in no time, giving me pain medication so I wouldn't be miserable for the next few days. I thanked he paramedic as I stood up from the table and made my way over to Steve standing at the entrance of the tent. Thankfully, no one had gotten seriously injured, just a few bruises and cuts. It seems as if I took the worst of it, and even then it wasn't that bad.

I reached Steve and he immediately pulled me into a tight hug, cradling me to his muscular chest. I wrapper my arms around his waist and held him to me. We stayed like this for a few minutes before I pulled away and looked up to his handsome face.

Steve had a bruise across his forehead, a few cuts on his cheeks and a busted lip. His face was covered in dirt and sweat, his eyes shining such a bright blue. His hair was still in his usual fashion, much to my amazement.

"Let's go home," I told him quietly as I grabbed hold of his hand, leading him to the direction of our apartment. Steve smiled.

"Home," he said as he looked down at me, "That sounds nice."


	9. Chapter 8

Steve POV

I awoke to the smell of something absolutely mouthwatering. Assuming it was breakfast and that Elena was cooking, I got up from my comfortable bed and stretched. Letting out a loud yawn, I went over to my closet and put on some black sweatpants. I rubbed my tired eyes as I made my way, shirtless, over to the kitchen. When I walked in, I was met with a gorgeous sight.

Elena was at the stove, cooking. She wore a baggy, white cotton dress with thick straps on the shoulders, brown leather sandals that came up to mid-calf, and her hair was braided intricately down her back. She was pure beauty.

"Morning," I say gruffly as I walked up next to her. "Need any help?"

She turned to me and offered one of her breathtaking smiles. "Sure, Steve. Can you go and set the plates on the balcony table? It's a lovely morning outside, so I figured we could eat breakfast out there." I simply nodded my head and grabbed two of the red plates, making my way over to the balcony.

When we first moved in here, what we had thought was a pantry was actually the entrance to the balcony. Elena had picked out a black metal table for two and a pair of comfy, brown outdoor lounge chairs. She had also hung lights on the railings and loved to turn them on at night. We spent a lot of time out there when it wasn't too hot.

I placed the plates on the table and sat down as I noticed Elena coming over with the food. She placed it on the table and I got a look at what we were eating. Watermelon and pineapple, with blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs.

"This looks absolutely delicious," I tell her as I begin to pile the food on my plate.

"Well, thank you, sir." She said with an adorable smile. I smiled back as we began our meal. The food tasted better than it looked. Elena really knew how to cook. I loved a woman who could cook. I think every man does.

"How'd it come out?" Elena asked as she looked up from her meal. Unfortunately, I had just stuffed my mouth with a big forkful of eggs, so I couldn't reply. Instead, I just nodded with my mouthful. She busted out into a set of giggles. I swallowed my food and laughed with her.

"Steve, you are so silly," she laughed as she stabbed a pineapple with her fork. She popped it into her mouth effortlessly and chewed slowly. So ladylike.

"I know," I said simply as I grinned at her. She blushed and looked down quickly, avoiding my gaze.

"You have a lovely blush," I said as I, too, blushed. Elena looked up immediately from her plate and gave me another breathtaking smile.

"I know," she said, "You told me when we had lunch the first day. But, thank you." Oh, I thought to myself. That was a tad bit awkward.

"So what do you want to do today, Steve? We don't have to meet up at base until 23:00." Elena continued, still blushing slightly. I thought about all the possibilities. I wonder why S.H.I.E.L.D wanted us there so late.

"We can do whatever you want to do," I told her. She looked at me with a blank look, then looked back down immediately and blushed like crazy. What's got her blushing? What I'd give to be able to hear her thoughts.

"How about we go do a little shopping?" She asked with a smile. Women.

"Again?" I asked with a look of worry on my face. Elena laughed at my facial expression. I'd do anything to make her laugh like that.

"Well, we still need some stuff. You need a cellphone, and I was thinking that we can buy you some more modern clothes. But only if you want to. Personally, I like your clothes." I blushed for what felt like the millionth time.

"That does actually sound like a good idea," I said as I got up and took the plates to the sink.

"Here," she said as she walked up next to me and pushed me aside lightly. "I'll clean up and you go get ready."

"Thanks," I gave her a smile and went to take a shower. Grabbing a blue towel from the cupboard, I made my way to the bathroom and stripped down. Entering the shower, I did my normal routine. I finished within no time, brushing my teeth and shaving afterwards. I had forgotten to grab my clothes, so I cautiously walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around my hips.

"Oh!" I heard Elena squeal. She was blushingly furiously as she looked at me. Covering her eyes quickly, she burst into a set of giggles.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, Steve," she said through her laughs. I blushed a deep red, hurrying to my room and closing the door. I leaned back against it, trying to calm my rapid heartbeat.

Why did she laugh? She had complemented me before on how she thought I was handsome. Maybe she lied. Maybe she thought that I actually wasn't that muscular. I looked down at my body self-consciously, examining my arms and chest. I just didn't understand women. Never have, and never will.

I got dressed quickly in a pair of slacks and a green shirt. Deciding to leave the jacket behind, I walked out to the living room, feeling slightly ashamed of myself. I used to be really self-conscious before I got the serum, and I still slightly was, to be honest.

"Oh, Steve," Elena said as she ran up to me. "I wanted to apologize for laughing. I wasn't laughing at you; I was just laughing at the situation." I let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Oh, it's okay," I responded lightly, "I thought you were laughing at my . . . physique." I didn't want to say 'body', and I couldn't find a better word.

"No, No!" she said with a smile and blush, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with your physique, Steve. It's perfect." I blushed even more at her comment.

"Thank you, Elena," I said, "Ready to go?" She nodded her head and grabbed the keys, making the way to our car. After making sure the door was locked, we got in and drove off toward the stores. She turned on the radio again and drove through the traffic perfectly.

"Ok," she began, "First, we're going to get your phone. Then we'll go to the mall and shop for some new clothes. You should probably get some shorts and t-shirts, and some swim trunks. I was thinking that maybe we could go to the beach soon. It's getting hot outside and it'll be perfect."

"That sounds nice." I loved going to the beach. Bucky and I used to go and swim with a few of his other buddies. They were never mean to me, but we never formed a friendship like the one I had with Bucky. I missed my best friend so much.

Before I knew it, we were already at the phone store. I got out and opened the door for Elena, like always, and we made our way inside. A friendly young lady helped me pick out a phone and explained to me how it worked. By the time she finished, I was completely blown away. Who knew that such a small device could do so many things? And cost a fortune. I sort of panicked at the price, but then I remembered that I had a salary from S.H.I.E.L.D, and it wasn't a small one either. I was glad that I finally had a chance to spend some of it.

"How do you like the phone?" Elena asked as we walked through the mall. I looked up from the illuminated screen and gave her a smile.

"It's great," I said as I put it in my pocket. "What stores are we going to go to?"

"I was thinking about Express. They have a men's section there. Plus, I want some new jeans and maybe a new bag too. Oh, Coach is having a sale!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the store. I chuckled quietly at her and just followed her through the store. She had ended up buying a large white purse and the matching wallet.

I grabbed the bag from her and motioned for her to lead the way.

"Such a gentleman," she smiled as she made her way to the store she had mentioned before. I couldn't help but blush slightly as I followed her, managing to sneak a quick glance at her round bottom and lean, smooth legs. Yeah, you're a real gentleman Steve.

Elena had dragged me through the entire mall, picking out clothes for me and for herself. But she made sure that I liked the clothes too before we bought them. I thought that it was sweet she had taken in account my feelings as well.

We got home around 8:30, exhausted from our shopping trip. I carried the armful of bags to the appropriate rooms and plopped down on the couch. Running my hand through my hair, I let out a sigh. Elena sat herself next to me and crossed her legs like a lady. She had pretty nice legs. She had pretty nice everything, in fact.

"Tired?" she asked with a small smile. I let out a small laugh and nodded my head.

"You could say that," I told her. She let out a light laugh.

"Me too," she whispered as she leaned back against the soft couch. We just sat in silence for a little while, enjoying each other's company.

"Want to go get some coffee?" I asked her. "We can go to that Star place." Elena let out a small giggle as she got up from the couch and headed to her room.

"Starbucks," she corrected me, "And yeah, that sound's nice." I nodded and got up, grabbing the keys to my new motorcycle instead. I had talked the idea over with Elena and she agreed with me that I needed a transportation of my own. My motorcycle was a classic Harley Davidson, black and glossy. I loved it.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to take the Harley." I asked her as she came back, new wallet in hand.

"Sure," she said with a huge grin. I had taken Elena on a ride a couple days ago, and she had absolutely loved every minute of it. Plus, she held on to me the whole time. The feeling of her soft body pressed against my back was absolutely lovely.

Following, she ran out and put her wallet in the seat compartment. Putting her helmet on a little sluggishly, she hopped on behind me. One of the rules was that she had to wear the helmet. She needed it more than I did. At first she had disagreed, but I had managed to persuade her.

I revved the engine and soon we were off. A smile was plastered on my face as we drove through the night. New York was an absolutely beautiful city. Especially at night, the lights and signs were very bright.

We arrived at Starbucks after a few minutes, parking the bike near a meter. Putting quarters into the machine, Elena went on ahead and waited for me at the door. I jogged up to her and held the door open for her, motioning for her to go first. She thanked me as she entered the shop.

The smell if brewing coffee filled my nose as I followed Elena. The place was decorated very cozy and modern. I liked it.

"How may I help you?" said the guy behind the counter. I noticed he kept smiling at Elena and looking at her body, basically undressing her with his eyes. I didn't like that one bit. Glaring at him slightly, I heard Elena speak up.

"I'll have a grande Shaken Iced Tazo Tea, please. Sweetened passion."

"Sure thing, beautiful." The stupid guy said. Elena gave a small smile and looked at me. I could see the slight disgust in her eyes as I smiled back. Then, I went back to glaring as I looked at the guy.

"I'll have a grande Vanilla Bean Frappuccino." I said broodingly. He typed in the order.

"That'll be $5.43," he said to Elena, "And your number as a tip, please." I saw Elena frown and I immediately went into action.

I wrapped my arm around her waist tightly as I looked at the young man. He was no older than 20, with curly brown hair and oily skin. He was lanky and pale, reaching up to just under my chin.

"That won't be necessary," I said rudely as I put the bills on the counter. "Keep the change." I pulled Elena over to a small table near the back and pulled out her chair. She wordlessly sat down gracefully. I huffed in annoyance as I saw the guy glaring daggers at me. I copied his expression and Elena noticed, looking back and seeing the guy.

"Ugh," she grumbled as she turned back to me. "Thank you, Steve. I really appreciated that."

"No problem, ma'am." I whispered as I looked back at her. She gave me a small smile. I returned it immediately.

"Passion Tazo Tea and a Vanilla Frappuccino!" said a young girl at the counter. I got up and got the drinks from her, thanking her for her service.

"Have a good night, sir," she said as she turned back to the kitchen. Now that's how an employee should behave.

"Thank you," Elena said as I handed her the tea. I nodded my head as I took a sip from my drink. Sitting down, I took an even bigger drink. That stuff was good.

Elena and I sat there and talked for a good hour, drinking and laughing about the most random things. She had an absolutely great personality. She was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. That was hard to find nowadays.

"So, Steve," she said playing with her straw, "I still don't know that much about you. Last time we talked about ourselves, I did all the taking. What do you like to do?

"Um," I began a little shyly, "I like reading and drawing. I also like to go to the gym a lot; blow off some stress."

"I can see that," she giggled as she reached over and felt my arm. I laughed and blushed a light shade of red. "And you like to draw?" I nodded my head in response. While all the other young guys would go out and play outside, I would stay in and draw. It was one of the things I was really good at it.

"I'd love to see some of your works," she responded.

"Oh, well thank you. But I'm pretty sure they don't compare to yours." Elena had hung some of her paintings around the house. They were absolutely outstanding. They had so much detail and seemed to almost come to life.

"Oh, I'm sure they're lovely." Elena smiled as she pulled out her phone she gasped and looked up. "Shit, we have to be at base in twenty minutes." I got up quickly and threw away our empty drinks into the trashcan. Elena and I ran out and got on the bike, speeding off towards the base.

We arrived with five minutes to spare. Everyone was already seated at the table; along with two other people I had not had the chance to meet yet. Director Fury stood at the front, hands behind his back like always.

"Captain Rogers. Agent Aldo. Glad you could join us. Please have a seat." We wordlessly sat down in the two empty chairs at the end of the table.

"Now that we're all here," Director Fury continued, "Let's begin. Avengers, you have a mission. You will head out to Moscow at get into Kytrae's Headquarters. You are going to try to get as much information as you can. We need to find out what they're planning. Yesterday's attack was just the beginning. You all leave at 7:30 AM Friday Morning. You have two days to prepare. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Everyone got up quietly and headed over to the lounge area. I took it upon myself to introduce myself to the unfamiliar people.

"Hello, I'm Captain Steve Rogers." I said as I stuck out my hand towards the curly haired guy. He wore glasses and a simple white button up shirt with jeans and sneakers.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Bruce Banner," he said as he shook my hand. I took care not to shake it too hard, not wanting to hurt him. The big blonde guy came up next.

"Captain Steve Rogers," I said as I shook his hand. I winced internally as he let go. That guy had a mean grip.

"Thor Odinson of Asgard," he introduced himself simply. Oh, the demi-god. I had read up on the whole New Mexico incident after I woke up. You could say I was in a state of disbelief.

Elena had introduced herself to the two men as well, Bruce shaking her hand lightly and Thor placing a small kiss on the back of her hand. I growled lightly, not liking the idea of another man's lips on Elena. I sighed as I made my way over to couch. I really shouldn't be thinking about Elena as if she was mine. She was a free woman.

"So," Tony began as he stood at the window, "How's it going, Cap-sicle?" I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Tony wasn't a serious guy, and sometimes got on my nerves. I would've already punched him, but the thought if Elena being upset had stopped me. Tony and she were close friends.

"Fine," I replied simply. "And you? How is Miss Potts?" I had met Pepper a few weeks back. She was a very nice lady. I knew she and Tony were romantically involved, and she seemed to be crazy for the guy. Why? I have no idea.

"Good, thank you." He responded as he took a sip from his drink. That's another thing about Tony; always drinking.

"How've you been Natasha?" I heard Elena ask as she gave her friend a hug. They went and sat at the small table, talking and laughing like girls always do. We men just talked about random things, just like guys always do.

I really didn't want to go to that mission Friday, but someone's got to be Captain America.


End file.
